Midterms shift power to Democrats

Democratic candidates won control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in Tuesday's elections. The results represent a sharp break from the political trend of the last decade. Democrats will hold both chambers of Congress starting in 2027.

The shift in power was clear across the map. Democrats took Senate seats in South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, and North Carolina. These states have been Republican strongholds for years. A Black woman, Keisha Lance Bottoms, won the governorship in Georgia. A Latina, Gina Hinojosa, won the governor's race in Texas. In Texas, James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton. Talarico is the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in that state since 1988.

Donald Trump spent the first half of his second term governing with unilateral tariffs and a war in Iran. These actions raised fuel prices and angered voters who opposed the conflict. He also focused on Washington renovations and outside investments while many Americans struggled with high costs. Trump campaigned hard for his party, claiming the economy was fine. He did not dispute the final results.

Roy Cooper, the new senator from North Carolina, said the chaos in Washington was hurting people. He promised to take that message to Capitol Hill. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who won reelection, said the mandate is to get costs down. He suggested that if the president vetoes legislation, he should let it happen. Moskowitz said the president can still tell Americans that affordability is a hoax.

Trump poured more than $250 million into Republican campaigns. Millions more came from donors like Elon Musk. The spending was not enough to stop the losses. Republicans whom Trump supported explicitly, such as Darline Graham in South Carolina and Michael Whatley in North Carolina, lost their races. The coalition of young, Black, and Latino voters that helped Trump two years ago moved decisively to the Democratic side.

In Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy lost the governor's race to Amy Acton. Ramaswamy had used an ad featuring negative comments from his opponent's estranged mother. He expressed serious concerns about the future direction of the country after the defeat. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin conceded defeat to David Crowley in the governor's race. Trump called the Democratic performance good and blamed his own party's candidates for the losses.

An AP Voter Poll found that roughly three-quarters of voters felt angry or dissatisfied with the country's direction. About twice as many voters said they wanted to oppose Trump as those who wanted to support him. Six in 10 respondents blamed Trump's policies for higher prices. Democrats now face pressure to pass legislation on healthcare and presidential power. They must also manage calls to impeach the president.